


Once in a Blue Moon (A Family is Born)

by okydoky



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-13
Updated: 2010-09-13
Packaged: 2017-10-11 18:37:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/115647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okydoky/pseuds/okydoky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just what did Harry have to do for Malfoy to dig up a grave for him? Dig up Snape's apparently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once in a Blue Moon (A Family is Born)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for . Thank you very much to my betas oddnari and emeralddragon_8.

**: Once in a Blue Moon (A Family is Born):**

"Why exactly am I here, Malfoy?" Harry sighed as he trudged into Malfoy's decadent sitting room. "You know I can't stay long, Teddy doesn't like it when I'm gone."

Since Andromeda's death two years ago, Teddy, now five years old, had been in Harry's custody. In the beginning, he'd been so clingy that Harry was unable to leave the room, but recently he had improved significantly, allowing Harry to begin rebuild a social life. Malfoy had come into Harry's life just as Andromeda had passed away. At her funeral, Malfoy had come up to him, offering to help Harry if he wanted – his own father had died just months after he had been sentenced to house arrest in the aftermath of the war. His mother's health was deteriorating rapidly, and Harry got the impression that Malfoy desperately wanted to form some roots – even if they did come about in a strange relationship with Harry and his pseudo-son.

"You should have brought him with you, you prick."

"For some reason he didn't want to spend the afternoon in your scary house, Malfoy, he would rather spend it with Mrs. Weasley. I really was surprised," Harry said with a roll of his eyes. He flopped down onto the chaise and looked expectantly at Malfoy.

"Do make your self at home, Potter," Malfoy sneered and he sat down on the edge of the chair opposite. Harry sighed. They went through this routine every time.

"What's up then, Malfoy? You've got more ants in your pants than normal, and that's saying something."

Malfoy sighed and settled back into his chair. Seconds passed while Malfoy glared at Harry, and Harry looked around Malfoy's home.

"You probably don't know what I do with my time, apart from the couple of hours a week I spend with you and Teddy, do you?" Malfoy asked.

"It…hasn't really occurred to me, to be honest," Harry admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

Malfoy shrugged. "Fair enough. I don't really care what you do either."

"Then why am I here?"

"I'm getting to it, Potter, do shut up."

Harry waved his hand. "Carry on then."

"To put it simply, I've been researching for the last five years – since the war, on and off. It's been extremely difficult to get the information I've needed – I had to wait two years to get the last book I wanted."

"Right…" Harry said, confused.

"I've been researching Snape. His death. Ever since you told me about the circumstances of his death and his burial, I knew there was something fishy about it all, but I couldn't figure it out."

"Malfoy, he died. What on earth is fishy about that? It was awful, I know it was, but what consolation is it knowing how it happened?" Harry asked.

"Potter, I already knew _how_ it happened, I wanted to know why."

"Getting bitten by a ten-foot snake tends to do that to a person, Malfoy."

"Snape wasn't just a person though, Potter. He was a Potions Master, and a brilliant one at that. I don't believe there is a chance in hell that after all those years as a Death Eater, and surviving as a Death Eater, that Snape would let himself be bitten by Nagini," Draco scoffed.

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise and swivelled around to sit up straight. "OK, I see what you mean… it does look a bit suspicious when you put it like that."

"Exactly!" Malfoy exclaimed. Harry had never seen him this animated before – it brightened up his face in a very pleasant way. "So, I've been researching the circumstances of the Final Battle, everything from the temperature outside to what time he died. And, I've discovered something."

There was a pause. "Tell me then, Malfoy, God!"

Malfoy smirked. "That night was a blue moon. The active ingredient in the most common anti-venom that would have been effective against a snake like Nagini is the cattleya aclandiae."

Harry looked at Malfoy blankly.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "It's a type of orchid, you cretin."

Harry motioned for Malfoy to continue. He betted that Malfoy had a class as a child on the names of pretentious flowers, just in case of a situation like this.

"Anyway, in the light of the blue moon, the orchid changes properties, causing a magical coma for anybody that ingests it."

Harry blinked. He had so many questions, all more stupid than the next.

"Why aren't there people falling over in comas all the time then? What are blue moons? Does - does this mean we buried Snape alive?"

"The orchid is very rare, Potter, and blue moons are even rarer. The petals are only used in anti-venom potions, and people don't go around being bit by snakes every day of the week, you know. You may be the exception, of course."

"I've never been bitten by a snake, thank you very much," Harry said proudly.

"What was the basilisk then, a peacock?"

Harry scowled.

"But Snape," Malfoy said, taking a deep breath. "I think he might still be alive. That's the beauty of a magical coma." He let a bark of laughter escape, shaking his head ruefully.

"But – but. Won't he be traumatized or starved or … something? We need to go, Malfoy, tell somebody."

"The rate of decline tends to be about a day of starvation et cetera for every year the wizard is in the coma. It's been five years, so we need to hurry," Malfoy sighed.

"But _how_?"

Malfoy threw up his hands. "Fucking magic, that's how."

"We… we need to tell somebody," Harry said shakily.

"Who do we go to, Potter? Who?"

"The… the Aurors, the Ministry, someone responsible for things like this!"

"No one is responsible, they will take him in and lock him up in either Azkaban or the mental ward in St. Mungo's," Malfoy said.

Harry was silent. It was true.

"What do we do then?" he asked.

Malfoy sighed again. "It's up to us, Potter. We need to go and rescue him."

**: :**

Three hours later, Harry and Malfoy had decided that they couldn't very well bring Snape back to Malfoy Manor because Mrs. Malfoy was still roaming the halls after her husband had died, and Grimmauld Place was out of the question as well, as there was a steady flow of people going in and out constantly.

Eventually, Malfoy remembered with a cottage the family owned in Norfolk, that had once housed an elderly man, who - Malfoy was almost a hundred percent sure – was dead. Harry had sighed and agreed, but reluctantly admitted that Teddy would have to join them soon, as he wouldn't be able to stay with the Weasleys any longer than a couple of days.

"We'll have to see how Snape is," Malfoy said. "If he's ill, or traumatized, we can't have Teddy around him."

Harry nodded. "We could alternate days with Teddy if we need to, it's probably not the best idea to leave Snape alone, at least for a while."

Malfoy shrugged. "That sounds fair."

There was a silence where they looked at each other for a few moments.

"When… when shall we go then?" Harry asked.

Malfoy took a deep breath. "Tomorrow night."

Harry rolled his eyes, but nodded. "It's like we're in a cheesy television programme. Shall I wear all black and bring a shovel?"

"We're fucking wizards, Potter, Disillusion yourself. Bring your shovel though – do _you_ know a spell to dig?"

"… no."

"Then bring your shovel. We can charm it so that it's easier for you to dig."

"What about you? Bring your shovel as well, I'm not doing this on my own, you ponce."

"I'm a Malfoy, Potter, I don't _do_ manual labour."

Harry snorted. "Yes, you fucking do."

**: :**

"Malfoy," Harry panted as he pushed the spade into the hard, cold earth one more time. "Why me?"

"Why you what?" Malfoy asked as he peered into the hole Harry had made and wrinkled his nose. "You haven't done very much."

"Fuck off. The day you can complain is the day when you actually help me," Harry said with a glare. "Why is it me you asked to help you do this?"

There were a few moments of awkward silence before Malfoy coughed and shrugged. He jumped into the hole with Harry. It barely came up to their waists. "You… are basically the only person I trust enough to help me with this," Malfoy admitted. He scratched the back of his neck.

Harry almost smiled as he recognized Malfoy's nervous movements. His eyes flickered to Malfoy's lips, and he couldn't tear his gaze away from Malfoy's perfect white teeth biting into his plump pink lips.

"And you're the only person I know daft enough to agree as well," Malfoy added.

Harry rolled his eyes, the moment once again broken by Malfoy opening his mouth. He was sure that Malfoy's propensity for talking out of his arse was the only reason Harry hadn't confessed his crush on the man. "Thanks, Malfoy, brilliant to know you care." Harry couldn't deny that he couldn't think of anyone else he knew that would agree to a midnight grave-robbing expedition though. This plan was sounding less and less clever the further down the grave he dug. Maybe they should have gone to the Ministry.

"As much as fat kid loves cake," Malfoy said cheerfully. "Chop chop, Potter, getting caught grave-robbing will do nothing for your already tarnished reputation."

"That reputation is your fault, you git," Harry fumed, forcing the shovel into the ground forcefully. " _You_ got me drunk that night!"

"That night was possibly the highlight of my life," Draco reminisced. "I didn't _make_ you shag the barman in the back room though, did I?"

Harry was fairly certain that Malfoy had in fact shown the photographer where he was, but he had no proof. Still, it had made coming out a lot easier – with handy pictures as well. Harry shoved the spade deep into the earth and chucked it in Malfoys direction. Malfoy whipped out his wand and vanished it before it hit him.

"Bastard," Malfoy said. Harry was certain he sounded quite… affectionate.

Harry dug for a few more minutes as Malfoy sat on the edge of the hole, watching.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Harry commented.

"It is rather surreal," Malfoy agreed. "It's a good job you're not afraid of the dark."

"I am fairly sure my brain has convinced itself it is dreaming, which is the only reason I can get through this little… adventure without throwing up."

"It's not that bad," Malfoy protested. "You've been in a war, Potter! Man up."

"How about you help me? We're almost done, it'll go a bit faster and we can find out whether we're digging up an actual person or a corpse."

"He's alive," Malfoy declared, and jumped into the hole. "Duplicate your spade then, Potter, I can't very well dig with my hands now, can I?"

Harry stared at him. "You're actually going to help? Not just pretend to?"

Malfoy made a face, as if Harry had rumbled his plan. "I will do my very best?"

"Scout's honour?"

"Yes, whatever the fuck that is."

Harry pulled out his wand and duplicated his spade, passing it to Malfoy without a word. If Harry made a fuss, Malfoy would get in a mood and refuse to help, he could see it playing out in his mind already.

The two men set to work, the extra set of hands making short work of the remaining digging. When Malfoy forced his spade down forcefully and was the first to hit solid wood, they both gasped.

"Fuck," Harry said.

Malfoy fell to his knees and began pushing the soil away with his hands, his movements hurried and frantic. Harry couldn't do anything but watch as Malfoy scrambled about in the mud. He didn't know that Snape meant that much to Malfoy – Harry was overcome by jealousy. Why didn't Malfoy care that much about him? Sure, he didn't hate Harry, but he wouldn't dig up a grave for him either.

Harry wished he would.

"Potter," Malfoy begged, looking up from his knees at Harry. Harry had a strange vision of Malfoy, begging on his knees for another reason. He shook himself.

"What do you want me to do?"

Malfoy was silent. The wind rustled the trees and the air was filled with the sounds of crickets chirping and owls hooting.

"Help me out. We can do the rest by magic."

Harry nodded and fell to his knees. He held out his hands for Malfoy to stand on and lifted him out of the hole, his muscles straining and his face pressed against Malfoy's arse. Harry heard Malfoy groan as he pulled himself out of the grave, and he pondered the thought of how _wrong_ it was to get hard in a graveyard.

"Potter, you twat," Malfoy said. Harry looked up – Malfoy was crouching on the edge of the hole, holding out his hand.

"Sorry," Harry muttered and grasped Malfoy's soft, pale hand (God, Harry needed to get a life, or at least have a shag), letting Malfoy pull him out, with a great deal of difficulty.

Harry wasn't sure who _actually_ fell over, but he definitely knew that he was lying on top of Malfoy, his thigh between Malfoy's legs and his face was flat on the damp grass.

"Ughh."

Malfoy sighed. "I know I'm irresistible, but this really isn't the place, Potter."

Harry pushed himself up onto his hands, staring down at Malfoy. A blush came over Malfoy's cheeks and he looked away from Harry's intense gaze.

"Potter…" Malfoy whined.

"S-sorry, Malfoy."

Harry didn't move.

"Now isn't the time, Potter," Malfoy whispered.

Harry's heart leapt to his throat. Did this mean Malfoy was interested in him? Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Malfoy put his finger on Harry's lips, shushing him.

"Later, Potter. We can wait. Snape can't."

Harry moaned and rolled of Malfoy, lying on the grass. "He so could wait five minutes," Harry grumbled.

"Five minutes? Way to sell yourself to me, Potter," Malfoy said. He stood up and brushed blades of grass and lumps of mud off his clothes.

Harry blushed and stood up as well. "What do we do then?" His trousers were uncomfortably tight, but what they were about to do was sure to take care of that.

"We need to levitate the coffin out," Malfoy said.

"This is so creepy."

"Yeah," Malfoy breathed. He pulled out his wand and Harry followed suit. "Concentrate on that end," Malfoy said, pointing six feet away from where he was stood.

Harry did, and together they levitated the muddy coffin out of the grave. They set it down on the grass and looked down at it.

"Are we going to wake up in a minute?" Harry asked.

"Dream about me, do you?" Malfoy shot back.

"You going to open it then?"

"You open it!"

"I dug it up, you open it!"

Instead, they opened it together, prying the lid off with the sharp edge of the spade. They pushed the heavy wooden lid off the box, reluctantly but somehow unable to stop themselves as well.

Harry recoiled instantly. "God, it stinks!"

Draco made a noise of disgust and began to cast charms and spells over Snape's body.

"Is he alive?"

"Shut up!" Malfoy hissed. "Interrupt me again, and I will hurt you. This charm took me months to learn, so shush!"

Harry shut up and watched as Draco worked his magic over Snape's corpse. Apart from being pale and dusty and skinny, Snape looked the same. He had to be alive. Harry very little about what happened to the body after it was buried, but he was fairly sure that after five years there had to be some decay. He really didn't understand this whole 'magical coma' deal. Snape was intact – still and perfect.

Malfoy was still chanting, his eyes closed. The air around him seemed to be swirling, lit up by the light of the moon. Harry knew without knowing that it was another blue moon.

As Malfoy stopped, Snape's chest heaved and his black eyes opened suddenly.

Snape was alive.

**: :**

Harry yawned as Teddy cuddled into his side. A door, somewhere in the cottage opened and a moment later, Draco appeared.

"How is he today?" Harry asked quietly. He stroked Teddy's hair, smoothing the turquoise curls against his forehead.

"Still hasn't said anything. When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago. Teddy wouldn't stay with Hermione, I figured we could work out some sleeping arrangements."

Malfoy's cottage had two bedrooms – one which Snape had been occupying for the last three days in silence, and another which Harry and Draco took turns in using.

"Of course," Malfoy agreed. "You can share the bed with him – I'll sleep on the sofa."

"Thank you."

Over the last three days, their conversation about 'them' had not happened. Snape had been in as bad shape had Harry feared – malnourished, ill and traumatized (or so Harry assumed – there had to be a reason for his silence).

"I think I'll put him to bed now actually. I've got a bottle of firewhiskey – want a glass before we turn in?"

"Potter, I think I love you," Malfoy said. By now he had sat on the sofa next to Teddy, his head leant against the cushions and his eyes closed.

"I'll be back in a bit then."

Harry picked Teddy up, soothing him as he stirred with the disturbance. Teddy went to back to sleep instantly, and when Harry tucked him under a luxurious green silk quilt, he sighed happily and didn't make a sound for the rest of the night.

He shut the door quietly, making sure the hinges squeaked as little as possible and the click of the door shutting was minimal. He bit his lip and pulled out his wand, casting a spell to make his wand light up if Teddy awoke. Malfoy had used the same spell on his own wand for Snape – it was his turn.

His bag was in the hall. He pulled the bottle of amber liquid out, and detoured to the kitchen for a couple of tumblers. Malfoy was sitting up with his eyes open when Harry returned, taking the glasses of Harry as he got closer and placing them on the coffee table.

"Thank you," Harry said and sat down next to Malfoy, knees tucked beneath him.

Malfoy poured out a couple of inches of whiskey into the glasses and handed Harry one. He took a sip gratefully and it burned down his throat.

"How's he been today?" Harry asked.

Malfoy swallowed his drink, and Harry stared as the muscles in his throat flexed under pale, beautiful skin. Harry wanted to lick him.

"His health has improved a hell of a lot over the last twenty-four hours," Malfoy told him. Harry could feel the firewhiskey going straight to his head, and felt himself leaning in closer to Malfoy.

"Really?" Harry asked, his voice thick. "That's brilliant."

"Yeah," Malfoy said. "It is."

Malfoy's face was suddenly a lot nearer to Harry's than he remembered it being, and than it should be really. His nose was just inches away from Harry's own, and Harry could see every little detail on Malfoy's face, from what looked like a tiny Dragon Pox scar to a mole under his eyebrow.

"Hi," Harry said.

"Hi," Malfoy said back, and suddenly there was no room between them at all. Malfoy's lips were on Harry's, and it was better than any fantasy Harry had ever had, any daydream or wet dream, or any other kind of dream Harry could think of. Because this time, Malfoy's lips were real, on his, wet and slippery and Malfoy's tongue was rubbing itself against Harry's; dancing around it, twisting it one way and another.

As the kiss continued, getting more and more heated, hands began to wander, rubbing skin through clothes, until Malfoy's fingers came to rest on the collar of Harry's t-shirt. Malfoy pulled his mouth away – Harry groaned at the loss – he had been enjoying that a lot.

Malfoy fingered the hem of Harry's shirt now and cocked his head. "May I?" he asked.

Harry's immediate thought was, _God, yes!_ but he made himself take a deep breath. He didn't want this to be a one-night deal. He'd rather keep Malfoy's friendship than ruin it with a one-night stand. Perhaps he might get away with a cheeky remark to help gauge the situation – it couldn't hurt.

"Will you still respect me in the morning?" Harry asked with a smirk.

Malfoy didn't take it as a joke though – his face became serious. "Potter… Harry, this isn't just a one-night stand to me… unless that's all you want. But, really, I don't think one night would be a good idea, we've got Teddy to think about after all…"

Harry shut him up with a kiss, grasping Malfoy's face with both hands. "I don't want just one night either."

"Good. Now can we stop talking, it may cause me to develop a vagina or something."

Harry mock-shuddered before he raised his arms above his head for Malfoy to take his t-shirt off. "Let's go then."

Malfoy knocked him back against the cushions of the sofa as he pounced on Harry, ripping his t-shirt off him in the process.

Harry let out a breathless laugh as he hit the cushions, wrapping his arms around Malfoy's broad shoulders, and pulling his face towards Harry's lips. They settled into another kiss, this one more comfortable and languid and fluid, like they had been doing it their entire lives.

The kiss came to a natural end, and Malfoy let his lips rest on Harry's for a second before he moved to kiss down Harry's jaw and throat. As he sucked the pulse point in Harry's neck, no doubt feeling his heart beating an adrenaline-fuelled frenzy. Harry groaned as he imagined where that mouth might be going and bared his neck even more for Malfoy's use.

At some point Harry's eyes had shut, so it came as a surprise when both his nipples were simultaneously tweaked by experienced fingers and thumbs.

"Oh!"

"Okay?"

Harry blushed and glanced down at Malfoy. Malfoy wasn't looking at Harry, he was studying his chest intently, and Harry didn't know if he was aware of it, but Malfoy was drifting towards his chest, his lips pursed ready to lick, suck and bite at Harry's flesh.

"Brilliant, I was just surprised…"

"Pay a bit more attention then, Potter," Malfoy teased, before Harry laughed breathlessly and let Malfoy suck and bite at his skin.

Eventually, when Harry was moaning and arching his back under Malfoy's ministrations, Malfoy stopped, his fingers hovering over Harry's belt buckle.

"May I?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "If you can find a way to do it without getting off me," he said, rubbing his hands up and down Malfoy's thighs, letting his fingertips brush the bulge his trousers hid.

Malfoy rolled his eyes and pulled his wand from his sleeve. He muttered a few words and all of a sudden skin was touching skin and Harry's hands were on Malfoy's cock, not on his buttons.

His hand automatically tightened around Malfoy's cock, and he stroked up and down. His thumb circled the head, swiping the pre-come gathered there and spread it all over. Harry wished he could take that gorgeous cock in his mouth. His mouth began to water at the thought and he pulled on Malfoy's hips, urging him to straddle his chest so he could take it in his mouth.

Malfoy groaned and did as Harry wanted. "Just for a minute, Potter, I want to fuck you, and I'm not going to last long."

"Please tell me that's because you've been dreaming about this for so long and you're just _so_ turned on, and not for any other reason."

No answer was given in a verbal form, Malfoy just nudged his cock against Harry's lips, who took it gratefully, taking as much in his mouth as he could in such an awkward position.

There was nothing Harry liked more than bringing someone to orgasm with his mouth, and the opportunity to do it to Malfoy, whom he'd dreamt about for so long, was unbelievable. Harry dug his fingers into the flesh of Malfoy's arse cheeks, pushing him into Harry's mouth even more. Malfoy's fingers were tangled in Harry's hair, pulling ever so slightly.

"Harry…" Malfoy moaned.

Harry moaned around his cock, giving one hard suck before he pulled away.

"Fuck me, Draco… fuck me," Harry begged.

Malfoy moaned and climbed off Harry, pulling him off the couch and kicking the coffee table out of the way.

They fell to the floor, rolling across the available floor, kisses becoming more bites and clashes of teeth than anything else.

"How do you wanna do this?" Harry asked against Malfoy's mouth.

Malfoy rolled them so Harry was on top, straddling Malfoy's hips. "Lift your hips," he requested.

Harry did so, bracing himself over Malfoy as his long fingers prepared him for penetration. Harry accepted those fingers eagerly, letting Malfoy prepare him quickly and efficiently. Now wasn't the time for careful lovemaking that lasted hours – it was about sex and satisfying a carnal urge. There would be time for careful another time – now, Harry just needed Malfoy inside him.

"Now," Harry breathed. He lined his arse up with Malfoy's cock, all he had to do now was thrust up and Harry would be full.

Malfoy groaned and thrust his hips, sheathing himself fully in Harry's arse. Harry held Malfoy's hips still as he got used to the intrusion before he began to lift himself up and down, fucking himself on Malfoy's cock.

A hand slid around his cock, but Harry batted it away. It was a distraction from the feeling of Malfoy's cock brushing over Harry's prostate, a feeling so intense Harry was convinced he would come in just minutes.

As Harry settled into a rhythm, Malfoy began to rock his hips slightly, brushing his cock against that sensitive spot inside Harry with every thrust.

Malfoy's fingernails dug into Harry's thighs – Harry knew there would be crescent shaped marks there in the morning. Malfoy looked gorgeous lying underneath him, his cheeks flushed, skin shining with perspiration and his hair splayed messily over the carpet.

"All right?"

A tight nod was all he got in answer. Harry could feel Malfoy's thrusts becoming more and more erratic, and he knew that he was going to come any minute now. Harry grasped his own cock, wanking himself furiously, even as he felt Malfoy come inside him, and sag bonelessly against the floor.

It only took a couple of strokes more for Harry to come as well, his come landing on Malfoy's flat stomach just a moment before Harry collapsed on his chest, laughing breathlessly.

"Thanks, Malfoy."

"I've still got my cock in you. Call me Draco, Harry."

Harry sighed and smiled into his shoulder. "Yes… Draco."

They fell asleep, limbs entwined on the floor and got five whole hours sleep before Draco was called to Snape's bedside, and Teddy awoke calling for Harry.

**: :**

"Hawwy?"

Harry looked up from his book. "Yes, Teddy-bear?"

"Who's that man in Uncle Draco's bed?"

Harry sighed. "That's Professor Snape. He used to teach us Potions at Hogwarts. You'll be there one day, won't you?" Looking at Teddy's turquoise hair, Harry knew without a doubt that Teddy would go to Hogwarts one day.

"Will he be my teacher?"

Harry pulled Teddy onto his knee, Teddy snuggling into his side and laying a wet kiss on Harry's neck. "Probably not," Harry admitted. "He's not very well at the moment, and we don't know if he's going to get well enough to be a teacher again."

"What's wrong wiv him?"

"Lots of things. He's not talking at the moment and he needs to talk to be a teacher, doesn't he?" Harry reasoned. How else could he explain this situation to a child? Stories of grave-digging was sure to give him nightmares.

Teddy looked thoughtful for a few minutes before he smiled at Harry. Harry presumed that all thoughts of Snape were now gone from Teddy's mind as he toddled off back to the bedroom he and Harry were still sharing.

Later that evening, Draco returned to the cottage laden with freshly-made potions from the Manor. He greeted Harry with a kiss, who was trying to prepare dinner in the kitchen – he wasn't the best cook – and he placed the small vials on the bare shelves.

"Where's Ted, in your room?"

"I assume so, he was half an hour ago when I came to make dinner." Harry peered at the instructions on the back of the pasta packet. Draco shook his head. Harry was a disaster; the pasta would inevitably be burnt soon.

"I'll go and have a look for him," Draco decided, and left Harry to decipher the instructions for pasta.

He passed Snape's room first and decided to check in there as well. Knocking gently, and not expecting to get any reply, he walked straight into the room. He was stopped in his tracks.

There Teddy was, lying asleep in Snape's arms. Snape was awake, staring into space as he stroked Teddy's hair.

"S-Severus?" Draco ventured.

Snape turned to look at Draco. He raised a finger to his lips. "Shh."

He'd spoken. Sort of. Draco knew this was the first step to recovery – this was the sign they'd needed. All that digging hadn't been for nothing.

Snape closed his eyes, relaxing into the soothing cuddle of a smile child.

"Harry!" Draco whispered.

A second later, Harry appeared. There was flour all down his clothes – Draco had no idea why Harry was using flour for spaghetti bolognaise.

"Look at this."

Harry stuck his head in the door. "Oh!"

"He's going to be all right, isn't he?"

Harry grinned. "Yeah, yeah he is."

There were a few minutes of silence.

"What a strange little family we are," Harry commented.

Draco's heart skipped a beat and he laughed. "We are indeed." Harry pulled him close and planted a kiss on his lips.

Who knew a grave-digging expedition would lead to this?

-fin-


End file.
